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LOS ANGELES, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Actress Lindsay Lohan faces misdemeanor charges and possible jail time for allegedly lying to police about a car accident earlier this year in California.

Officials in Santa Monica charged the troubled actress with three misdemeanor charges Thursday for obstructing an investigation, giving false information to an officer and reckless driving, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Police said they have evidence Lohan lied to them when she told them she wasn't driving a Porsche when it collided with a dump truck in June on Pacific Coast Highway.

A judge could sentence the troubled actress to jail time if it is determined she violated probation for her 2011 shoplifting conviction, the Times reported.

The charges are the latest in a host of legal troubles the 26-year-old has faced in the last few years. She was arrested Thursday morning for assault after a fight with a woman at a New York City nightclub, police said.

Lohan said she did not punch the woman, Tiffany Mitchell, but the alleged victim was spotted meeting with high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred, indicating a possible lawsuit may be on the horizon, TMZ reported.

Anchor Fred D'Ambroisi asked Twitter fans if the station should ban all stories from newscasts. The answer was a resounding "yes."

"OK. Due to popular demand, we just killed the :20 #LindsayLohan story in @wusa9 @5. The people have spoken!" the station's Twitter account said.

'Thriller' enjoys 30 years of success

NEW YORK, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- Thirty years ago, Michael Jackson was on his way to becoming the "King of Pop" with the release of the best-selling studio album in U.S. history, "Thriller."

"Thirty years ago the greatest album ever made was released and it still stands the test of time," longtime Jackson watcher and author Stacy Brown told ABCNews.com Friday, the day of the album's anniversary.

"Thriller" was the first album to feature seven Hot 100 top 10s, including "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," which took the No. 1 spot, Billboard reported. The album was at the top of the Billboard 200 for 37 weeks, more than any other album by a single artist.

The Recording Industry Association of America lists the album as the best-selling studio album in U.S. history, with 29 million copies sold. "Thriller" is tied with the Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" for the overall domestic title.

Estimates of worldwide sales are as high as 110 million albums sold, Billboard reported.

"Thriller" earned Jackson seven Grammy awards in 1984, including album and record of the year.

Nick Lachey to host NBC singing contest

HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. singer Nick Lachey has been tapped by NBC to host a hybrid singing game show tentatively named "The Winner Is," the network said.

Lachey had previously served in the same capacity for NBC on another singing competition show, "Sing-Off" for three seasons from 2009 to 2011, The Hollywood Reporter said Friday.

John de Mol, of "The Voice," created the new show and will act as an executive producer alongside "The Voice's" Stijn Bakkers and "Deal of No Deal's" Craig Plestis.

"With Nick at the helm on air and an original format from Talpa [Media USA] that includes surprising and competitive twists, viewers are sure to be immersed and entertained," said Paul Telegdy, NBC alternative late-night programming president.

"The Winner Is" will feature a series of pairs of contestants who will perform before a panel of judges. After, the contestants can cut a deal with the judges and exit the show with a cash prize if they think their performance was sub-par. If they choose to remain in the game, the judge can either eliminate the contestant or move them to the next round and one step closer to the ultimate $1 million prize, The Hollywood Reporter said.

The crash took place Nov. 14 in Nashville, where the actress films her ABC show, "Nashville," TMZ reported.

Panettiere ran a red light with her BMW, while at the same time the other driver -- in a Geo Prism -- illegally turned into the actress' lane, the accident report said.

Panettiere was driving in the right lane through an intersection when the Prism driver made a left turn into her lane instead of the left lane, the report said. A witness told police the actress had run a red light.

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